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P 01din*g MaJ0hin-e. No. 233,997. Patented Nov. 2,1880.

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Folding Machine. No. 233,997. Patented Nov. 2,1880.

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Folding Machine. No. 233,997. Patented Nov. 2. I880.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUTHER O. OROWE LL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,997, dated November2, 1880.

h Application filed May 27, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER O. ORowELL, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings and State of NewYork,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFolding-Machines, (Case E,) fully described and represented in thefollowing specification and the accompanying-drawings, forming a part ofthe same.

In said drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view, and Fig. 2 a sideelevation, of the folding-machine, showing the fabric as introducedthrough the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view, and Fig. 4 a side elevation, ofthe folder unobstructed by the presence of the fabric. Fig. 5 is a planview, and Fig. 6 a side elevation, of the folder, showing one mode oftaping the same so as to adapt it to manipulate detached sheets.

This invention relates to that class of longitudinal folding-machineswherein the folding is accomplished by conducting the material betweentwo series of folding-guides, one of which is in contact with the innersurface of the material, and is therefore termed the internal guideflwhile the other is placed in contactgwith the face or outer surface ofthe material to direct its opposite sections into faceto-face contact,and consequently termed external guides or turners.

The present invention relates more particularly'to the construction ofthe internal folding-guide and the combination of the same with externalguides, aswell as with conducting-tapes,withtransverse-cuttingmechanisms, andwith transverse-folding mechanisms, thewhole constituting a folding delivery mech anism especially adapted towork in combination with a' printing mechanism of that class known asweb perfecting machines, the printed product of which may be thereby cutinto sections or sheets and folded at a high rate of speed.

It is well known that to accomplish the doubling or folding of a web orsheet longitudinally, or in the direction of its travel, by carrying thesame between external and internal folding-guides, it is essential thatthe internal folding-guide should be so placed as to guide that portionwhich constitutes the bi ght or crease of the fold in the line of travelparallel with that of the edge of the folded section.

In the present invention the internal guide is so constructed that thedanger of rupturing the edge of a web of thin fragile material such asthe paper used in web perfecting presses-is avoided by means of a guide,which distends the web or sheet widthwise from the point of itsreception upon the guide to the point of folding contact, whereby thepressure of the external guides or turners exerts no strain tending torupture the edge of the fabric as it leaves the widthwise supportafforded by the internal guide; or, if the internal guide is so placedas to provide sufficient slack to the side sections to avoid thebreaking tension over its edges, no injurious overstrain will be Ibrought upon that portion of the fabric in contact with thecreasing-edge of said guide, all of which will be more particularlyhereinafter pointed out.

The structure of this folder will now be explained.

The internal guide is composed of a series of rollers, 10 11 12, whichhave their bearings in a frame the members 13 14 of which terminate attheir forward end in a bearing, 6, which constitutes the point where thelongitudinal fold is to be formed. The roller 10 is of a length at leastequal to the width of the material to be folded, and the rollers 11 and12 have conical ends, said internal guide thus composed being pivoted atits rear end by the journals of the roller 10 and rendered ad j ustable'in its angular position with respect to the external guides or turners,15 16, by a supporting-frame, as 17, by which it may be raised andlowered by means of a cross-bar, 7, that rests in the slot of anelevating screw-threaded rod, 18.

The external guides or turners, 15 16, are properly supported in aframe-work (not shown, but of common construction) so as to stand atright angles to the line of fold to be imparted to the material, and theconical ends of the rollers 11 and 12 are so aligned with thefolding-point 6 as to properly bend the material that is distendedwidthwise by the roller 10 as it passes over them to the control of theexternal turners, 15 16, and thus deflect its side sections so as tocause the material to crease at the point 6, and its side sectionsfolded at that point to be lapped together at said turners 15 16.

This internal guide may, of course, stand at a difl'erent angle ofelevation with respect to theexternal turners, 15 16. Thus, if its rearend is raised from the position shown, the rollers 11 12 will have to beshortened so that their conical ends form a more acute angle of unionwith the point 6, and if said rear end be low ered the rollers 11 12would have to be lengthened so that the angle of union of their conicalends with the point 6 would be more Ohtuse. This angle of relationbetween their conical ends and the point 6 would also vary with thelongitudinal extent of this internal guide as said guide is lengthenedor shortened; but in all cases slight vertical adjustment should be madeto cause the conical ends of these rollers to perfectly take up theslack material caused by deflecting its side sections centrally, tocause the formation of the longitudinal fold.

With the internal guide thus constructed, whether it has two rollers, asl1 12, or more, as may be required by the fragility of the paper, itwill perfectly distend the same, so that the body portion will besupported as it passes over the roller 10, and the deflected sidesthereof will be likewise supported between the conical ends of saidrollers, as 11 12, the point 6, and the external guides or turners,

A folder thus composed operates to accurately impart a longitudinal foldto the material without unduly strainingit in any part, but, on thecontrary, perfectly distending the same without danger of rupture orinjury to it, the series of rollers forming the internal guide for thematerial during its folding, providing surfaces that support itwidthwise and along its natural bending-points, so as to cause thestrain to be equally distributed throughout the fabric widthwise. Thusthe constantlychanging bend forming the fold, which commences at theside edges and runs thence angularly to the line of permanent folding,is definitely determined and formed without distorting the material orunduly straining the same.

In Figs. 1 and 2 aweb of paper is illustrated as being longitudinallyfolded by this apparatus, and, though bending'rollers, as 19 20, areshown as guiding said web onto the internal guide, such rollers mayobviously be dispensed with, and said web led directly from the printingand impression cylinders 21 22 of a printing-machine, which cylindersare designed to represent the last printing-cylinders of a perfectingprinting-machine, the structure of which is so well known to personsskilled in this art as to need no description here.

The web passing from between the cylinders 21 22 or rollers 19 20 islaid breadthwise over the roller 10, and then carried over the angularsides of the internal guide, as formed by the conical ends of therollers 11 12 and the point 6, whereby they are brought together andentered between the external guides, 15 16, which guides, as hereillustrated, are shown to be rollers that will be properly gearedtogether and driven at a surface speed equal to that of theprinting-cylinders 21 22; but hereit is to be remarked that theseexternal turningguides need not rotate, but, on the contrary, they maybe fixed surfaces. If, however, they are to operate not only as externalguides, but as meansfor drawing the material through this folder, theywill, of course, be driven rollers. The web is shown as passing beyondthem to a cutting and folding mechanism, which consists of two rotatingcarriers, 23 24, the former being supplied with a tucking-blade and thelatter with a nipping-jaw, 25, said cylinders also carrying acutting-blade, 26, and cutting-slot. 27.

This combined cutting and folding mechanism is constructed substantiallylike that described in Patent No. 143,674, granted October 14, 1873, andtherefore needs no particular description here. It may be generallysaid, however, that the web passed between the carriers 23 24 is pressedby the tucking-blade between the nipping-jaws; that the latter seize itat that point and carry it onward with the carrier 24 until thecutting-blade 26 comes into action to divide the web transversely toform a sheet, which sheet, once folded transversely by the movement ofthe jaws 23, is at the proper time delivered therefrom. Either thecylinders 23 24 or the rotating turners 15 16 may thus be the means ofdrawing the web through this folder, and it will be obvious that thestrain upon the web will be sufficient to cause its sides to bedeflected over the edges of the internal guide, the crease to be formedat the point 6, and the sides lapped together in passing to turners 1516, thus imparting a longitudinal fold to the material, which operationmay be carried on at great speed, equivalent to that at which theprinting-machine can perform its operations.

The cutting operation, whereby the web is divided into short sections orsheets, may be performed before this longitudinal folder is reached.This may be done by interposing cutting-cylinders, as 29 30, between theprintingcylinders 21 22 and this folder, as in Fig. 6. When this is doneit will be apparent that the cutting mechanisms will not be required inthe rotating transverse-folding mechanisms constituted by the cylinders23 24, which transverse-folding mechanism will thus operate to simplyfold the sheets previously severed from the web, as shown in Fig. 5.When this longitudinal folder is to operate upon detached sheets, as inFigs. 5 and 6, it will be necessary to supply the folder with means forconducting the sheets through it, and this is done by means of tapes.One system of tapingis shown in said figures.

When the web is but partially severed by cylinders 29 30, then, as therollers 10 11 12 form the inner support, outside tapes only arenecessary. These outside tapes consist of margin-tapes 1 2, that rununder the roller 20, thence over theroller 10, thence follow the pathtaken by the margins of the sheets and return around the lower ends ofthe rollers 15 16, passing over deflecting-pulleys 37 38 and 39 40 tothe roller 20.

A central tape, 3, runs from the roller 20 over the roller 10, andreturns over a pulley, 41, placed near the point 6, so as to bear uponthe bar forming said point or a roller supported thereby.

Intermediate tapes 4 5 run from the roller 20 and return over pulleys 4243, that bear upon the roller 11. These tapes are sufficient to nip thepartially-detached sheets between them and carry the same onward throughthe folder, so that they will be properly advanced and will be directedbetween the external guides, 16, which, in this arrangement, should bedrawing-rollers. These tapes and the rollers 15 16 will run at the samesurface speed as the cylinders 21 22, and the rotating carriers 23 24will run so much faster as is necessary to accelerate the travel of thematerial and detach the partially-severed sheet from it.

If the cylinders 29 30 completely sever the material, the customaryleading-cords will direct the sheet therefrom to the rollers 19, aroundthe latter of which under leading-tapes will extend to rollers 10 11 12to properly support the sheet, or other supporting means will berequired.

The transverse-folding machine may be constructed like that shown, or beof any other well-known construction. A stationary bar might supplantthe roller 10, and the rollers 11 12 might be fixed on their bearingssoas not to revolve. If enough rollers, as 11 12,

are used so that a diminutive roller is supplied to support the materialvery close to the point 6, the extended frame forming a support at 5that point may be omitted.

Though the material or fabric has been described as coming from aprinting-machine, it is obvious that it may be received from any sourcewhatever, either in the web or sheet form.

What is claimed is-- 1. The combination, with external guides orturners, 15 16, of a sectional internal guide consisting of rollers, as11 12, having tapered ends, forming angular surfaces, over which theside sections of the material are deflected centrally, by the conjointaction of which internal guide and external turners a longitudinal foldis imparted to the material, substantially as described.

2. The combination of alongitudinal folder composed of asectionalinternal guide formed of rollers having tapered ends andexternal guides or turners, 15 16, with a transverse cutting mechanism,substantially as described.

3. The combination of a longitudinal folder composed of a sectionalinternal guide formed of rollers having tapered ends and external guidesor turners, 15 16, with a rotary printing mechanism, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination of a longitudinal folder composed of a sectionalinternal guide formed .of rollers having tapered ends and externalguides or turners, 15 16, with bending-rollers, as 19 20, substantiallyas described.

5. The combination of a longitudinal folder composed of a sectionalinternal guide formed of rollers having tapered ends and external guidesor turners, 15 16, with a system of taping, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a longitudinal folder composed of a sectionalinternal guide formed of rollers having tapered ends and external guidesor turners, 15 16, with the cylinders or carriers 23 24 and theircutting or folding mechanisms, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

LUTHER O. OROWELL.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. GRAHAM, T. H. PALMER.

